World Mental Health Day highlights need to break stigma in Pakistan

Pakistan, along with the rest of the globe, observes Saturday as globe Mental Health Day to create awareness on mental health, battle stigma and discrimination and promote access to treatment and support for those facing mental health disorders.

The United Nations estimates that about 32.4 million people in Pakistan need mental health care. However, only 5% of the country’s population has access to mental health services, meaning that almost 95% of the country does not have access to such care.

The survey shows a critical deficit of mental health specialists in the country. Pakistan has approximately 0.19 psychiatrists per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to the average of seven per 100,000 in high-income countries.

The key obstacles for mental health care in Pakistan include lack of professionals and poor access to treatment facilities.

The government, along with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners, launched the National Mental Health Policy 2026–2035 on October 1. The policy seeks to improve mental health care and increase access to treatments for those in need.

The topic of this year’s World Mental Health Day is “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.” This report features a campaign focused on hearing from the experiences of people living with mental health disorders, under the phrase “Real Voices, Real Change.”

The WHO said the project attempts to ensure that the experiences of people with mental health difficulties are reflected in policy making, treatment and support systems.